Safety-support for window-cleaners



(No Model.)

H K. WHITNER, SAFETY SUPPORT FOR WINDOW CLEANERS. No. 000,400.

Patented June 28, 1898.

. WASHINGT I-IIRAM K: WVHITNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-SUPPO RT FOR WINDOW-CLEANERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,400, dated June 28, 1898, i

Application filed February2,1898. SerialNo. 668,815. (1% model.) l

T 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM K. WHITNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Supports for Window- Gleaners and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in safety-supports for windowcleaners. In addition to the customary stay, strap, or rope used in connection with a safetybelt wornupon the person of the windowcleaner, I have used a supplemental rope guard in a manner that necessitated the duplication of the so-called permanent fixtures and stay-terminals well known to those skilled in the art to which the service appertains. Such method was tolerated only when the work to be done was exceedingly hazardous and in which the additional cumbersomeness was warranted by the exigencies in such exceptional cases, but such method did not Warrant a general introduction of said supplemental rope in the service.

The object of my invention is to not only support window-cleaners in their perilous positions more securely than heretofore, but by means hereinafter shown I facilitate their work by overcoming the objectionable fea tures that heretofore obtained when introduclarged representation of my improved guardcarrier shown detached from Figs. 1 and 4.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged representation of my im proved combination-eye showndetached from Figs. 1 and 4t. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of my safety-belt the subject of Patent No. 559,472, issued to me May 5,1896, and embodying my invention.

In Fig. l, A represents a belt well known as a safety-jacket. Said jacket may be of the usual construction and preferably connected with stay 0 and my guard D by means of a C is now rove through stayway 7t in carrier K, also rove through stay-eye E and E Fig- 1, also rove through eye it of terminal H or itsequivalent. Said stay 0 is fixedly lashed or clamped about the thimble h of eye 71, preferably by means of wrappings 7L2 and h and S -hooks 7L4 and it, closed about said wrappings. The prolongation of stay 0 in D con stitutes my improved guard, which latter is now rove through guard-eye F and F, Fig. 1, successively and then rove through guard Way in carrier K, the free end d ofsaid guard I) being formed into a dead-eye d, omitting the customary thimble usually placed in such positions. A metal thimble in this position might endanger the glass of win dows. p

In Fig. 2 I show a method I preferably use in constructing my new and novel carrier K. A piece of leather of suitable dimensions is folded with the end 7.2 upon the end W, said lappings being held in position by rivets k and It", thus forming stayway 7t and guardway 10 the end k projecting into stayway 7c. Said end I preferably serrate, thus forminga serrated tongue 76 as shown in Fig. 2, whereby said carrier K may the better be retarded in its movements along stay 0. It will not be a departure from the spirit of my invention to use a carrier having but a single way, through which both stay 0 and guard D' may be roved.

In Fig. 3 I show a detached enlarged view of my combination-eye E and F, preferably used for securing said stay 0 and guard D to my safety-jacket A, Fig. 1, or my belt B, Fig. 4, or their equivalents. In said combinationeye the stay-eye E is placed uppermost, through which the (Working) stay 0 is rove, as shown in Figs. land 4, the guard-eye F being placed below, through which the (reserve) guard D is rove, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, (said eyes when designated in Fig. 1 have their position 1 and 2 added,) in order that any slack in said guard D may fall away from stay 0, thereby preventing any fouling of stay 0. Inasmuch as guard D is not held absolutely taut, said guard-eye F in the combination-eye may be of the ordinary simple construction. Not so with the stayeye E in said combination-eye. Here I not only provide an antifriction-surface on each side of the base of said combination-eye E and F and designate them M and N, but when said surfaces are broadened out they not only reduce the wear of stay 0 to a minimum, but they also prevent a rocking of said combination-eye, (shown in use inFigs. 1 and 4,) which rocking would be harmful to both stay 0 and guard D. Rivet-holes e and f, placed in the projecting ends of said combination-eye, complete the construction of my improved combination-eye. It would not be a departure from the spirit of my invention to construct Fig. 3 with but a single eye large enough to receive both stay 0 and guard D and thus take the place of the combination-eyes in Figs. 1 and 4 or their equivalents. However, a single eye in place of the combination-eye E and F for both stay 0 and guard D and a single carrier-way, above referred to, would not be attended with the best results. The wear 011 the (reserve) guard D must be kept at a nominal nothing. At the same time carrier K, when properly constructed on lines above suggested, will hold guard D tautenough to keep said guard D practically parallel with and close to said stay 0, thus keeping both stay and guard on the right-hand. side of the window-cleaner practically in position of the one stay heretofore used, making said duplication unobjectionable from a hindrance standpoint in his work. Another important feature is attained by using a carrier in the manner carrier K has proven its efficiency since put into service in connection with an indispensable practice for safety-that is, placing terminal H or its equivalents in engagement with its permanent Window-fixture before the Windowcleaner emerges from the building through the open window after placing terminal G or its equivalent in like manner. The windowcleaner may lay hold of both stay (3 and guard D with one hand and grasp carrier K with the other hand, pulling said stay and guard through said carrier K, in order that stay C may be adjustably shortened to the proper width of a narrow window to be cleaned by means of the hitch g, while the pendent free end d of said guard D may hang as surplus rope. Now when the cleaner goes to a wider window after placing terminal H or its equivalent, as before, said cleaner has simply to move over to the opposite side of the wider window. The combination-eye in position E and F, Fig. 1, or combination-eye in position X, Fig. 4, hereinafter described, will contact with carrier K, forcing it out of the limit required for lateral movements in cleaning said wider window, where said carrier K will be held by its bite upon stay 0, and by its bite upon guard D the latter will be held practically taut while the window-cleaner moves from side to side of the window in cleaning said window after terminal G or its equivalent has been placed and the adjustment of stay 0 has been made as heretofore.

In Fig. 4 I show how to place the combination-eye E and F in position of X Y Z'or their equivalents for holding stay 0 and guard D upon belt B in order that the best results may be obtained as a belt-slin g (described in Patent No. 559,472) when the said duplication is applied to the said form of belt. It will be obvious that in any event and with any manner of belt should stay C break the fall would be arrested by guard D pulling on terminal H or its equivalent. Should the window-cleaner lose his footing before he placed the terminal G or its equivalent, which has happened in a number of instances during a practice of six years, then the fall will be checked by the (shorter guard D. Should the latter break, then the'windoW-cleaner would drop to the limit of the (longer) stay 0. Hence in introducing the duplication into belt-sling B, Fig. 4, it is important that both stay 0 and guard D be so rove that in case of either breaking the remaining acts upon said belt B independently of the leather-buckling feature 0 O O O, which latter (as in any form of belt that is held upon the person of a window-cleaner by means of buckles) is the weakest part of said belt B and shown in Fig. 4. In other Words, that no strain be brought upon said buckling feature shown in Fig. 4 and more fully shown in Patent No. 559,472. Another very important feature is that the stay-eye and the guard-eye in the combination-eye in the position of E and F in Fig. 1 and X in Fig. 4 be on the same plane relative to the contacting end of carrier K inorder that said combination-eye may force said carrier beyond the limit of the side movements of said Window-cleaner without. turning the one or the other of said ropes (designated stay C and guard D) back over the edge of its specially-provided eye in positions E and F, Fig. 1, or position X, Fig. 4, and thereby inflicting injury in said stay or guard, as the case may be.

1 preferably make guard D a continuation of stay 0 in order that when said stay 0 is worn to the danger-point (it being the working rope) and requires renewal then guard D should be renewed also, even though worm but very little. Should stay 0 and guard D be spliced independently into terminal eye It or its equivalent, guard D might be made to serve the time of several stays, thus bringing both stay 0 and guard D finally to the danger-point, thus defeating the purposes of my invention.

I am aware that it is not new to introduce a second rope or stay into a belt for the purpose of additional safety and therewith duplicate the terminals and permanent fixtures. Such an arrangement would make the safety apparatus too cumbersome to admit of its general introduction into the service, or if one end of an extra rope or guard be attached to the belt direct the slack obstructs the window-cleaner in the performance of his work. Again, should the extra guard be fastened to both terminals in the manner of a single rope or secured to the stay proper by means of buckles or their equivalent on the ends of said extra guard then the wear on both, if not alike, would be at least alternate and the fundamental principles of my invention would not be attained, nor would the adjustment of said extra guard be automatic in its adaptation to wider windows.

What I claim as new and novel in my invention is providing a non-working reserve in a guard that is self-ad j usting to the limit required in cleaning windows of different widths after an adjustment has been made in the working stay in use heretofore and in the usual manner and holding said reserve guard practically taut in a manner not obstructive'to the window-cleaner in his avocation and not liable to excessive Wear.

Having thus fully described my invention, I will nowin claims point out what is new and novel 1. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with a stay and its terminals, of a guard fixed to one of said terminals and means whereby said guard is held in relative position with said stay, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 2. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with a stay and its terminals, of a guard fixed to one of said terminals, a combination-eye fixed in said safety apparatus and means whereby said guard is held in relative position with said stay, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with a stay and its terminals, of a guard fixed to one of said terminals, a carrier movably attached to said stay whereby said guard is held taut, and

means whereby said guard is held in relative its terminals, of a guard fixed to one of said terminals, a combination-eye fixed in said safety apparatus, and a carrier movably atits terminals, of a guard D fixed to one of said terminals, a combination-eye fixed in position E, F and in position E, F in said safety apparatus and means whereby guard D is held in relative position to stay O,'substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with stay 0 and its terminals, of a guard D fixed to one of said terminals, a carrier K movably attached to stay 0 and guard D and means whereby guard Dis held in relative position with stay 0 in said safety apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a safety apparatus for window-cleaners, the combination with stay 0 and its terminals G and II, of a guard D fixed to terminal l-I, combination-eyes fixed in positions E, F and E F in safety-jacket A, carrier K movably attached to stay 0 and guard D,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with stay 0 and its terminals, of a guard D fixed to one of said terminals, a carrier K having a guard way and a stayway It provided with a serrated tongue 70 and means whereby said guard D is held in relative position with stay 0 in said safety apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a safety apparatus adapted to encircle a person, the combination with stay C and its terminals, of a guard D fixed to one of said terminals, a combination-eye having a stay-eye E and a guard-eye F provided with antifriction-surfaces M and N and rivet-holes e and f as a means whereby said guard is held in relative position with stay 0 in said safety apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a safety apparatus for window-clean ers, the combination with stay 0 and its terminals G and H, of a guard D fixed to terminal II, a combination-eye fixed in positions X, Y and Z in belt 13, carrier K movably attached to stay 0 and guard D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM K. WHITNER.

W'itnesses:

FREDERICK O. Goonwnv, L. T. MANN. 

